CATHOLIC BOY’s first three-year-olds have come out running and the first weekend of March was no different, with the stallion registering two stakes placers in 24 hours.
A winner on debut, Barbratina has been a nice second in each of her three starts since and March 1 was another one of those in her stakes debut. Running in the Cincinnati Trophy, the Brad Cox trainee proved she is one to watch. Racing over a mile, she was one of the back runners early on and gradually made her way through the field as they raced around Turfway Park.
The filly came running down the stretch but ran out of ground to finish second by 1 ½ lengths with the third-place horse 4 ½ lengths behind her. The second-place finish earned her 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks.
Those at Fair Grounds on Saturday also saw a promising CATHOLIC BOY sophomore on Saturday with the Tom Amoss trained Rock ‘n a Halo stepping up to stakes competition in his second start.
Sold for $100,000 as a yearling by breeder Rosilyn, Polan Rock ‘n a Halo had broken his maiden on debut a month prior to the Black Gold Stakes.
He showed versatility when the race was moved from the turf to the dirt with the colt also stretching out from 5 ½ furlongs in his debut to 1 1/16 miles in this spot.
Rock ‘n a Halo raced in midpack throughout much of the race and motored into the stretch five wide. He showed some greenness in the stretch but ran on late to finish third, just two lengths behind the dueling top pair.
Barbratina is out of a Tapit full sister to Grade 2 winner Conquest Big E and half-sister to stakes winner Aquapazza. One of her half-sisters is also the dam of last year’s Arkansas Derby (G1) winner Angel of Empire.
Rock ‘n a Halo comes from another successful family with his dam a half-sister to three stakes winners. Her multiple stakes winning half-sister Hard to Stay Notgo, is also the dam of stakes winner Makin My Move and stakes placed Gotta Go Mo.
Hailing from the family of champion Minardi and Grade 2 winner and successful sire Tale of the Cat, his third dam is the stakes winning Spunoutacontrol, whose runners include multiple graded stakes winner Fed Biz.
Also the sire of a new winner during the week, CATHOLIC BOY has eight winners in 2024 and three stakes placed runners – including a stakes winner. He has 19 winners and five stakes performers overall from his first crop.